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Style: A comfortable Barbados villa with a home from home feel, atmosphere reminiscent of a more traditional Barbados, when tourism was in its early days. Affordable, delightful and very private gardens.
The Beach: The nearest stretch of beach is straight down the hill into Holetown/Sunset Crest, within 5 minutes drive. To walk will take around 15 minutes, longer on the way back which is uphill. Note that there are no side walks/pavements
The Rooms: 4 bedrooms, 2 en suite and 2 with a shared bathroom
Key features: Great Barbados villa rentals choice for a villa wedding or a family vacation, swimming pool (15ft x 29ft), Jacuzzi, portable barbecue, Direct TV (cable), DVD, VCR, CD/radio/cassette player, ADSL internet access and WiFi.
Children: Welcome, Casa Bella has a crib and high chair, and the house has gated access to the pool
Staff: Cook, maid/laundress, gardener and pool service |
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Description
Casa Bella is set within an established residential area on Barbados where the majority of properties are homes rather than rental properties. Next door happens to be the residence of the American Ambassador. The first impressions of Casa Bella are the exceptionally well tended gardens brimming with exotic trees, plants and flowers and which create a very private setting for this simply designed property. It is the gardens, pool area and unusual Jacuzzi, along with the quieter setting which has made this home so popular over the years, plus the fact that everything is within easy reach just a few minutes down the hill. There is ample parking space in the driveway, which is located below the house and gardens.
Casa Bella is slightly raised above the prettily landscaped gardens and there are a couple of steps leading onto a paved courtyard where you can sit out and enjoy a morning coffee and listen to the birds. The main entrance to the villa is the covered veranda, which overlooks the courtyard and serves as a casual dining area, used by the guests more often than the more formal dining room indoors. The veranda, which has ceiling fans, also has a casual sitting area furnished with white rattan to match the dining table and chairs which seats eight people. The Caribbean Sea can be seen from the main living area, which includes a comfortable sitting room beyond the veranda, with a three seater sofa and a pair of two seaters upholstered in a cheerful bold floral design. Traditional mahogany furniture is also scattered around the room. The formal dining room is located to the side of the sitting room. The kitchen is located to the side of the veranda, and Wendy the cook admits to serving up a good local curry.
Steps leading down from the courtyard into the gardens have a gate to secure the area from the pool if needed when small children are around. In a shady corner to one side of the gardens sit a bench and garden dining furniture, whilst around the tear drop shaped pool, the paving is set with additional garden furniture and sunloungers. The choice spot could well be the hammock, placed off the pool in the shade of tropical greenery, however there is another very special spot. Opposite the pool, in a style that is something of a surprise, is the Jacuzzi. It is housed in a gazebo-like structure which has a beautiful hand painted mural by local artist Hilary Armstrong to the rear wall. This must be one of the most romantic settings for a Jacuzzi and cries out for candles and a bottle of bubbly.
The bedrooms are located off the living area along a corridor which has a collection of books and magazines, and has a door leading out to the courtyard. There are three twin bedrooms. The first has an en suite bathroom with tub/shower, whilst the two centre bedrooms share a shower room. The Master bedroom, which has a king size bed, occupies the end of the wing and benefits from a small balcony overlooking the gardens, and is spacious and airy. All bedrooms are air-conditioned. |
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Beach & Swimming
Casa Bella’s pear drop shaped swimming pool is 15ft at the widest point and 29ft long, with depths of 8ft to 3 ½ ft, and steps to the shallow narrow end and a ladder from the deep end. There are some excellent swimming beaches within a five to ten minute drive, running from Sandy Lane to the area around Colony Club. The nearest easy access to the beach is in Holetown off 1st Street or opposite the West Coast Mall by Cocomos restaurant. |
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Sports & Recreation
The Sandy Lane Golf Club, tennis courts, and dedicated spa are located within approximately 10 minutes drive from Casa Bella, as are a range of water sports from Sandy Lane Hotel’s beach. There is a fitness studio at West Coast Mall approximately 5 minutes away. The nearest polo field is at Holders Hill approximately 12 minutes by car. |
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Locality
Casa Bella is set on the ridge above Sunset Crest/Holetown at the heart of St James and the nearest shopping district which is in Holetown, about 3 minutes north by car. Here you will find the Cave Shepherd Plaza and the larger West Coast Mall. These contain a supermarket, bank, photo centre, duty free shops, video rental, and various shops and boutiques. Also close by is the Chattel House Village, a series of traditional-looking Caribbean cabins selling souvenirs, the 24 hour Sandy Crest Medical Centre, and a market stall where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. The town also has a gas station (as petrol stations are known locally) which has an in-store mini-mart and an outlet of KFC, both open until late evening. Holetown, the place where the English first landed in 1625, later settling it in 1627, is also a local Barbadian community, with Police Station, Post Office, Parish Church, bank, pharmacy, clinic, fitness centre, school and so on.
There is a host of restaurants within 15 minutes drive along the main West Coast Road in either direction from Casa Bella. You might consider the famous Cliff Restaurant, about ten minutes away to the south - also look out for Scarlet, Daphne’s and Calabaza in this direction. Heading north beyond Holetown you could try celeb favourite the Lone Star, about 15 minutes north, or the Fish Pot. There are any number of restaurants in Holetown itself, including The Mews, Café Indigo, Olive’s and The Tides as well as an excellent patisserie, Flindt’s and several pizza parlours, cafés, a beach bar and some fast food outlets. There is also good nightlife in Holetown with lively weekend gatherings in 1st and 2nd Street, where the restaurants and bars stand shoulder to shoulder, with some providing live music. Drinkers tend to spill out into the street to mingle, creating an easy-going ‘street party’ type of atmosphere. The current ‘hot spots’ are The Mews, The Elbow Room, Spago’s and Lexy’s. |
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Useful Hints
Ask your travel organiser or the management company (if booking direct) for initial food and drink supplies to be laid in for your arrival. The cook will then prepare a welcome meal. Thereafter, staff will shop for you during your stay if you wish to delegate this chore. A 15% service charge plus VAT will be levied on the value of all shopping bills. Prepayment for your provisional groceries should be made when sending the final balance for the villa. Please see here for Bajan Services general grocery pack list with approximate prices.
Miscellaneous items such as airport transfers, extra beds and baby equipment are also payable in advance (see here for a price list). In the event that Bajan Services can only provide an estimated cost for customized shopping lists, or where the final payment for your villa has been made prior to other requests, you will be required to complete a credit card authorization form.
Please note that rental rates for villas in Barbados do not include ‘tips’ about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa. |
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Rates
| | 15 Apr-14 Dec 2008 | 15 Dec-14 Apr 2008-09 | 15 Apr-14 Dec 2009 | | Casa Bella 4 bedrooms | 550 | 900 | 550 | Rates are quoted in US$ per night and are subject to 7.5% VAT. Minimum stay 7 nights. All rates are subject to change without notice. Separate rates apply for the Christmas & New Year period - prices on request. |
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Christmas/New Year Availability
As of 17 September 2008, Casa Bella is available for a Christmas booking between 15-28 Dec at US$1,650 per night plus 7.5% VAT. You will need to book for a minimum period of 7 nights and a 50% deposit is required to secure a reservation. See here for a full list of villas available over Christmas through Bajan Services Ltd. |
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How to Book
If you wish to book direct, reservations should be made through the local managing agents, Bajan Services Ltd. You will need to send a deposit of 25% of the total rental fee (50% for Christmas/New Year bookings) to confirm a reservation. Payment of the remaining 75% is required 30 days prior your arrival, as is payment for groceries, transfers and baby equipment. If you are booking within 30 days of your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. You may contact Bajan Services by using the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. For a review of Bajan Services Ltd and details of their services please see here. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser that features this property, please follow the link.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct ask the villa management company to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. Your airport transfers take approximately 45 minutes and should be paid for in advance with the final payment for your villa. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include limousine transfers, a Concierge Service is offered by St James Travel & Tours.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
Although everything is relatively close at hand, a hire car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays. A car is useful if you want to dine out at night or go sightseeing, and especially for grocery shopping, unless you prefer the staff to call taxis for you as required, or use public transport. Book car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Stoutes Car Rentals and ask for your vehicle to be delivered to the property approximately three hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Barbados or, if preferred, the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. |
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All the information on this page comes to you free of charge. Please remember to mention DefinitiveCaribbean when you contact Bajan Services Limited for your Barbados villa rentals or Stoutes for your Barbados car rental requirements.
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